Maharashtra assembly approves supplementary demands without discussion

MUMBAI: Supplementary demands worth Rs 8,400 crore passed in Maharashtra assembly on Monday without any discussion.


The opposition's demand to reverse the decision and pass the budget only after a discussion on Tuesday was turned down by Speaker Haribhau Bagade.

Supplementary demand is the additional grant required to meet the required expenditure of the government.

While Bagade earlier announced a three-hour discussion for the demands of the revenue and forest, public works and industry, energy and labour departments, the opposition continued with its sloganeering, sitting in the well of the House. The speaker allowed ministers of the respective departments to raise the demands and it was approved without any discussion.

This is not the first time that supplementary demands, which are generally made to ensure political benefits, have been passed without any discussion.

According to the NGO Samarthan that regularly highlights government spending, the supplementary demands of Rs 20,326 crore during the current winter session is the third highest made by the BJP-Sena government since it came to power in 2014.

"While the state government had made a budget estimate of Rs 3.7 lakh crore for 2018-19, its supplementary demands of Rs 11,445 crore in July and now Rs 20,326 crore during the winter session has raised the budget estimate to approximately Rs 4 lakh crore," said a spokesperson. The total amount raised since 2014 is Rs 1.6 lakh crore.